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1431 Riverstone Parkway Canton 678-880-0400 RiverFineJewelry.com | E Q
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10:30 A.M. - 7 P.M. SUNDAYS NOON - 5 P.M.
What Customers are Saying
“I have a very old Victorian era ring with seed pearls. I lost a pearl in it. Other area jewelers told me they wouldn’t deal with it, but River Fine Jewelry was ready and willing! Less than a week later, the ring was repaired at such a reasonable price, returned to me shined and looking better than ever.” — Tabitha W.
“Ibrahim is absolutely amazing! We went to update my wedding ring, but I got upset about losing the sentimental value of my ring, so he took my ring and revamped it to be everything I wanted. He is so kind and fair! I will never go anywhere else again!” — Casey S.
“This is a wonderful, family-owned business. Ibrahim and his family are such good people who are personable and friendly to their clientele. I highly recommend this jewelry store. They have a good inventory of beautiful merchandise. Ibrahim is a classy guy with a very good understanding of his merchandise and his craft of fixing watches and other jewelry.” — Gerald D.
Custom-designed jewelry | Appraisals | Engravings | Jewelry/Watch repair We buy gold, silver, diamonds and Rolex watches.
2021
Eliza and Emma Nunnally ice their gingerbread houses in 2021.
Building Gingerbread Houses and Memories
Each Christmas season, we see friends and family post their latest gingerbread creations on Facebook. Many of our neighbors have made building gingerbread houses an annual tradition. But, even if you don’t commit to making them every year, it’s a fun activity that can help you spend quality time with your loved ones this month. We’re not gingerbread experts, but retired educator Becky Buice, who was a paraprofessional for 25 years in Cherokee County, helped connect us with local pros, Jane Free and Steve Bell, who have been making gingerbread houses with their daughters annually for about 10 years.
2015
Each Christmas season, we see friends and family post their latest gingerbread creations on Facebook. Many of our neighbors have made building gingerbread houses an annual tradition. But, even if you don’t commit to making them every year, it’s a fun activity that can help you spend quality time with your loved ones this month. We’re not gingerbread experts, but retired educator Becky Buice, who was a paraprofessional for 25 years in Cherokee County, helped connect us with local pros, Jane Free and Steve Bell, who have been making gingerbread houses with their daughters annually for about 10 years.
Jane Free
My daughters, Eliza and Emma Nunnally, really enjoy it every year. It’s really about the decorating and eating the candy as they decorate. They’ve gotten creative and more “skilled” with the candy and icing as the years passed. I’m going to be sad when and if this tradition ends, but I’m pretty sure the girls will want to keep it going. I create a whole theme around it in my kitchen, with a gingerbread tree, a Santa baker, etc. A lot of happy memories have been made each year!
We save our Halloween candy, buy extra decorating icing (the kits never have enough), and candy trees and snowmen are fun to add. I always fix our table with a bright disposable tablecloth and open the candy to make an inviting display. It’s almost like a surprise awaits … It’s more fun when you can see all the options.
I divorced in 2010 and was looking for a tradition I could do specifically with my girls, Sarah and Catherine, around the holidays, to make it fun and have something that we could look forward to each year. The arguing over design ideas, fighting over who controls the icing lines and color schemes for the placement of candy are just a few of the gingerbread house traditions that continue each year.
I’m definitely not a baker, so we always opt for the store kit and start looking for them just before Thanksgiving each year. The girls typically will go with me to see which one they want to tackle. It’s something we look forward to each year. I’m not sure what part they enjoy the most — the creative construction process or the eventual smashing of the gingerbread houses.
Helpful Hints and Tips
•Parents must be involved in the process!
This is not a hand-the-kids-a-box-to-occupytheir-time-so-you-can-get-some-quiet-adulttime activity. Get your hands dirty, get in there, and include yourself in the decisions and creativity. Those are memories that you can reflect on years later. • Don’t stress over mistakes. You can always eat them! Some years the houses have really turned out fantastic, and other years might not be Martha Stewart masterpieces. They all end up tasting pretty good once you get to that fun part of the process. • Build on a large surface and on papers or a towel. These can be messy depending on the age of the kids and how many moving parts there are with the decorations. We typically have little cups or glasses set out to separate each decorative candy, since most of them are small and can get everywhere quickly. • Turn on Christmas music. Why would you ever build a gingerbread house without
Christmas music playing in the background?!
This sets the tone and helps to put everyone in the proper mood for the afternoon. Avoid having the TV on; it totally defeats the purpose of what you are trying to accomplish, which is family time, interacting. • Have fun! Be silly, laugh and do all of those things that make memories. This is totally something I want my kids to do with their kids years from now and remember how much fun it was making them with Dad.
2014
From left, Steve, Sarah and Catherine Bell build their gingerbread house in 2014.
2021
Have You Ever Wondered
In the spirit of the season, we thought we’d go to the experts to get the real scoop on Santa, Mrs. Claus and their helpers.
?Why is Rudolph’s nose red? • From smushing red berries on it. — Hudson H., 5 • Because he’s the greatest reindeer in the world. — Colton S., 5 • From doing flips. — Hayes H., 4 • He’s the special reindeer. — Walker S., 8 • Because. — Barrett S., 3 • He stuck a carrot in his nose, and it grew bigger. — Kensley B., 4 • He was born that way. He has a special talent. — Colton B., 7 • ‘Cause he is a magical reindeer. — Aidan T., 5 • Because he is the specialist. — Georgia W., 5 • Santa stuck a light in it to guide him. — Levi B., 8 • Because he was born with it, and his dad knew he’d use it. — Ethan T., 6 • He was made like that, and it helps him fly. — Hudson A., 5 • To guide the other reindeer. — Jaxon F., 6
How does Santa get down the chimney?
•In a monster truck. — Hayes H., 4 • He dives into the chimney. — Hudson H., 5 • I don’t know. — Barrett S., 3 • He wiggles. — Colton S., 5 • With his magic. — Walker S., 8 • Slides down with his fat belly. — Jaxon F., 6 • He squishes himself, and he has to be as straight as a pencil. — Georgia W., 5 • His deers push him down, duh! — Levi B., 8 • Santa uses magic to squeeze down. — Hudson A., 5 • He’s on his sled. He carefully gets off on the roof, holds his belly and breath, and jumps down. — Knightley M., 5 • He goes in the hole and slides down. — Kensley B., 4 • He climbs down. — Colton B., 7 • He has magical powers. — Ethan T., 6 • He just jumps down. — Aidan T., 5
Barrett S.
What is Mrs. Claus’ job during the holiday season?
•Play. — Barrett S., 3 • Bake cookies and treats. — Walker S., 8 • Makes the toys. — Colton S., 5 • She works on her computer. — Hudson H., 5 • Goes with Santa. — Hayes H., 4 • To tell Santa if kids are being good or bad. She finds out if kids are being good or bad because parents call her. — Georgia W., 5 • Monitoring elves. Cleaning up and preparing for next year. It takes a lot of planning to be the Clauses. — Knightley M., 5 • She gives people presents. — Hudson A., 5 • Telling the elves what to do. — Ethan T., 6 • Making cookies. — Aidan T., 5 • Making sure Santa’s elves are safe. — Jaxon F., 6 • Helping the elves makes presents. She’s the boss of them. — Colton B., 7 • She is Santa’s assistant and tells him what to do. — Levi B., 8 • She makes the toys and puts them in a box. When she gets tired, she sleeps in a Santa bed. — Kensley B., 4 • Treats. — Barrett S., 3 • Carrots, and bunny rabbits like them, too. Everybody likes them. — Hayes H., 4 • They like pebbles, cereal, oats and marshmallows. — Levi B., 8 • Carrots and lettuce. — Walker S., 8 • Carrots and reindeer food made of oats and glitter. — Georgia W., 5 Walker S. • Carrots. Definitely carrots. — Hudson A., 5 • Something called mooth. It’s like a wintery lettuce. It looks like lettuce to adults. But to kids and reindeer, it is glittery magic, and it tastes like warm brownies. — Knightley M., 5
How does Santa travel the world in one night?
•He rides on a sleigh, silly. — Colton S., 5 • I have no idea. — Hayes H., 4 • The times change around the world, giving him more time. — Walker S., 8 • He does it very, very quickly. — Colton B., 7 • I don’t know. — Barrett S., 3 • With a sled, of course. — Hudson H., 5 • Because he has 100 in each state that help. — Ethan T., 6 • Well, I mean, his reindeer ARE pretty fast! — Levi B., 8 • He uses his sleigh to go fast. — Kensley B., 4 • His reindeer gallop super fast. — Georgia W., 5 • He uses a bunch of magic. — Hudson A., 5 • He has a magical sleigh and goes around earth. — Aidan T., 5
